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Behdienkhlam Festival

By: Peter Alex Todd

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The Behdienkhlam Festival, is celebrated by the Pnars as a form of homage which is paid to the Gods of the Seven Huts who arrived in the region from heaven and established a kingdom here. A prediction claimed that the region would suffer a violent plague that threatened to wipe out the entire tribe.Scared by this ill-fortuned prediction, the Jowai people traveled to the shrine of their protector deities Mulong, Mooralong U Mukhai and Musniang who advised them to worship the divine elements in the form of the festival of Behdienkhlam which was to be held annually. Thus, the festival is also known as the festival for chasing away the Demon of Cholera. Today, however the festival has another important significance. It is used as a prayer seeking divine blessings for a rich harvest in the year ahead. Behdienkhlam Festival, (June-July) which remains as one of the most popular festivals of the region. Rituals of the Behdienkhlam FestivalThe festival of Behdienkhlam begins with a ritual in which the Daloi or the chief of the tribe opens the proceedings with a ceremonial invocation to the Gods of the tribes through a series of religious rites. Following this is one of the most popular rituals of the festival where young men symbolize the flight of the evil spirit by beating the roof of every house in the village with bamboo poles. However, the main attraction of the f Behdeinkhlam festival takes place when young men fight for the possession of a huge beam, a fight which is characterized by smearing of mud on all the participants.

Concluding Ceremony The festival of Behdienkhlam reaches its conclusion with the Dad-lawakor ceremony in which groups of men jostle for the possession of a wooden ball, a game which is remotely similar to football. The festival ends with a final salutation to the divine powers when the women of the tribe offer sacrificial food to the Almighty. The four day long ritual of the Naimtre of the Pnar community call “ Ka Behdienkhlam” concluded today with colour full ritual where “ Rot” from different part of Jowai Doloiship in Jayantia Hills of Meghalaya, bought to aitnar where thousand of people witness the concluding day of the Behdeinkhlam. saturday was the last day of the festival that concluded in the evening . This festival is signifies fighting against all short of social evil. This festival is being celebrated from time immemorial, as said that once the people of this place had to face serious epidemic, and thus people gather to drive away this evil. The Organiser president of the BEHDIENKHLAM festival Mr. OAR SYLEM, said that in present context we have more social evil to drive away like ,discrimination and corruption. “People from different communities also participate in this festival and we well come them, this will promote more unity”, he added.

In this This festival people dance in the pool of mud waters, as they hold tall structures called the “ROT”, groups from various localities one by one bring this “ROTS” and get into the pool of mud water and dance. The ROT,s are decorated various designs, portraying social message of winning over evil. This year all together there are eleven “Rot” that where brought from different place of the Jowai Doloiship, in all these “Rot” they carry with the write up which tells the world about the day today happening in human daily life.

This celebration is special for the ladies community, its all about preparing special dishes and inviting guests to their homes, women put on a lot jewelries specially Gold ornaments and come to enjoy the final day of the festival. Its all about merry making and doing a lot of rituals in their home.Said,Pemie Pasa,a middle aged Local women,who had put a lot of Gold plated ornaments around her neck. A “Rooster” flag is a common sight during this festival, though this is not being worshiped by the people as any god or anything else. As The traditionally belief goes, once the sun disappeared and people were in the dark, and no one was able to bring back the sun, but finally the Rooster was able to bring back the sun to everyone’s joy, this the significance of the Rooster.The central government is funding for this festival to promote tourism,said organizing President.